The My Hero Project - Paul David Hewson PAUL DAVID HEWSON by Nicole from Paradise Valley Paul David Hewson singing ( My Hero My definition of a hero is somebody that inspires you or likes to do the same thing's that you like to do. For example like doing music, sports, or other things. A hero is someone who cares about other people and helping them. My hero is Paul David Hewson, better known as Bono. He is a band member of a Irish rock group from Dublin called U2. He has written many songs about poverty and the awful death of his father. He also wrote about many more subjects about life and the world. He has been the leader of the band U2 for thirty years. Bono was born in Northern Dublin, in Ballymun. At age fourteen, his mother died from a brain hemorrhage and his grandfather also died as well. Bono changed his name to Bono after ''Bono vox'' which means ''good voice'' in Latin. In 1976, he went to Mount Temple College. Then he started dating Alison Stewart and then they married on August 21st.

Since then he has been busy on tour, making music, and being involved in many global projects. Bono has been involved in a variety of causes outside of U2. His work as an activist, due largely to his Christian beliefs, began when inspired by Live Aid. He traveled to Ethiopia to work in a feeding camp with his wife and the Charity World Vision. Bono also went to Central America in 1985 to see the damage caused by the wars in Nicaragua and El Salvador. After his visit, U2 toured as part of the Amnesty International Benefit Tour, a Conspiracy of Hope. In 2002 he started his program ''One'' which helps people in poverty and Aids in Africa. In 2006, Bono and Bobby Shriver co-founded the product (Red)campaign, which hopes to eliminate Aids in Africa. Bono has inspired me by his songs. His songs are all about his life, and things that have happened in other peoples lives. So someone can just sit down and listen to his music and remember all about the past and their memories. I think he is a good influence on people who want to be an activist. He cares about other people and helps them in poverty and Aids.

He has done many good things for the earth like making a recycled clothing line called ï¿½Edun'' and that's how he inspires me to be like him. Bono - Biography - IMDb Biography Showing all 116 items Jump to: Overview (4) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (1) | Trade Mark (8) | Trivia (54) | Personal Quotes (48) Overview (4) 5' 6" (1.68 m) Mini Bio (1) Bono was born Paul David Hewson in Dublin, Ireland on May 10, 1960, to Iris (Rankin) and Brendan Robert Hewson. He has been the lead singer of the rock band U2 since 1976. U2 has won 22 Grammy Awards to date, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. Lauded by fans and critics as an outstanding performer and songwriter, Bono has also been praised by world leaders as an accomplished activist due to his powers of persuasion and knowledge of the issues. He travels extensively to give speeches and lobby politicians.

Bono's career as a socially conscious musician has been shaped by childhood experiences in Ireland as well as volunteer work in Africa and South America. He married his childhood sweetheart Ali Hewson in 1982, and actress Eve Hewson is among their children. An accomplished activist in her own right, Ali Hewson once declined an invitation to run for President of Ireland because her husband "would not move to a smaller house". They live in Dublin with their four children: Jordan, Memphis Eve, Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q and John Abraham. Bono was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for his successful efforts to relieve third world debt and promote AIDS awareness in Africa. He received the rank of Chevalier dans I'Ordre de la Legion d'Honneur (Knight in the Order of the Legion of Honor) from French President Jacques Chirac on February 28, 2003.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous Spouse (1) ( 21 August 1982 - present) (4 children) Trade Mark (8) Often wears a rosary given to him by Pope John Paul II Songs about politics Runs around the stage at live concerts Trivia (54) At one point in in their career, less than ten paying customers were on hand for a U2 show. In the early 1990s, U2 was the biggest export in all of Ireland. Luciano Pavarotti called Bono's father relentlessly, so that he would try and convince his son to write a song for him. He has written songs either for, or with, Frank Sinatra , Johnny Cash , Keith Richards , Luciano Pavarotti , Sinéad O'Connor and Howie B. among several others. Wrote the song "The Sweetest Thing" after missing his wife's birthday. When the song was rerecorded, his wife, Ali Hewson , received all the proceeds of its sale. She gave them, in turn to a charity for victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Wife Alison gave birth to their 4th child, John Abraham Hewson, 7 lbs 7 oz, in Dublin Ireland. Now has two daughters and two sons. [May 2001] Vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of the rock band U2 . Children: Jordan Hewson (born on his 29th birthday, 10 May 1989), Memphis Eve Hewson (born 7 July 1991), Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q (born 18 August 1999) and John Abraham (born 21 May 2001). His father, Robert Hewson, died of cancer in Dublin. [August 2001] Wrote a song with The Edge for Roy Orbison , "She's a Mystery to Me". It is included on Orbison's last album "Mystery Girl" (1989). His stage name comes from Bono Vox, a hearing aid retailer.

Bono Vox is Latin for "good voice" Bono was a member of Band Aid but was absent when the ensemble came to perform "Do They Know It's Christmas?" on BBC TV's Top of the Pops (1964) leaving Paul Weller to mime the line Bono had sang on the record. He is the only person, who has been nominated for an Oscar, Grammy, Golden Globe, and for the Nobel Prize. Was one of the keynote speakers at Liberal Party of Canada's Leadership Convention in November 2003, where Paul Martin was elected as Liberal Party leader and Prime Minister of Canada. Addressed the British Labour Party annual conference in Brighton, England. [September 2004] Sings the line 'well tonight, thank God it's them, instead of you' in the Band Aid 20 2004 cover of "Do They Know It's Christmas", the exact same line he sang on the original version back in 1984. U2 were voted the 22nd Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Artists of all time by Entertainment Weekly. Co-wrote (with The Edge ) the theme song to GoldenEye (1995), performed by Tina Turner .

[1995] Supports Celtic Football club He and his daughter Jordan share a birthday. She was born on his 29th birthday. Along with his wife Ali Hewson and New York designer Rogan, he created the high-fashion casual wear line called "Edun" (which is "nude" spelled backwards and pronounced Eden). It was designed as a socially conscious company to support developing countries. In 2005, he was one of 166 people nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on Third World debt relief and increasing AIDS awareness. Mother's name was Iris. Was a school boy chess champion. Voted the most powerful personality in the music industry by music execs. His mother, Iris, died of a brain hemorrhage in 1974. Bono was just 14 years old. Illustrated the children's book "Peter and the Wolf" with his daughters, Jordan Hewson and Eve Hewson , in 2003. The royalties went to the Irish Hospice Foundation. Was named by TIME Magazine as one of their 'Persons of the Year' for 2005 along with Bill Gates and Melinda Gates .

First Grammy-winning artist to say "fuck" during the 1994 live Grammy telecast Good friends with The Killers front-man Brandon Flowers . Was featured twice as a contestant on MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch. In 2006, he fought Chris Martin in the episode "Changing of the Guard", even though he was killed by Yoko Ono in the 1999 episode "Celebrity Deathmatch International". U2 won the Brit Award for International Group in 1990. U2 won the Brit Award for International Group in 1989. U2 won the British Phonographic Industry Award for International Group in 1988. U2 won the 2001 Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution. U2 won the 2004 Q Icon Award. Was named in the annual honor list as an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE). Initiated "Product Red" along with Robert Shriver to raise money for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The U2 songs "I Will Follow", "Mofo", "Out of Control" and "Tomorrow" focus on his mother's death.

Resides in Killiney, County Dublin, Ireland and shares a villa in Èze, France and an apartment at The San Remo in New York City with The Edge . Is a huge fan of Elvis Presley . U2 were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame for their outstanding contribution to British music and integral part of British music culture. [November 2004] Ranked #17 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists. Bono's silhouette is used as the icon for the "Artists" tab of the music component of the iPhone and iPod Touch. Two notable fellow musicians were consoled by his band's music during their final moments. Jazz legend Miles Davis developed a fascination with their 1984 album "The Unforgettable Fire" and listened to it repeatedly during the last few months of his life. U2 's 2000 song "In a Little While" was the last song ever heard by punk rocker Joey Ramone , who sang along with the lyrics with his family. Good friend of Neil Jordan . Named first daughter, Jordan Hewson , after him.

Is the only rock musician to be nominated for an Oscar, a Grammy, a Golden Globe, and the Nobel Peace Prize. He gives millions of dollars every year to charity. Godafather of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt 's children Vivienne and Knox. Awarded an honorary knighthood, therefore not allowed to have the title 'Sir' Bono [March 2007] U2 just gave a concert in Monterrey, Mexico and are still in Mexico for their concerts on the 15th and 16th. Their next stop is Brazil as they continue with the fourth leg of the Vertigo Tour. [February 2006] His group, U2 , has given 3 successful concerts of their Vertigo tour in Spain: Barcelona (7), San Sebastián (9) and Madrid (11). [August 2005] Bono performed a duet with Yuriy Shevchuk live in Russia [August 2010] Bono visited Sarajevo Film Festival in Bosnia. [August 2006] Writing music with The Edge for an upcoming new rock-opera musical based on Spiderman.

[May 2007] Personal Quotes (48) [in 1987] Everyone argues, then we do what I say. It costs a fortune to look this trashy. Never trust a man who tells you it's from the heart, never trust a man smoking a cigar, never trust a cowboy or a man who wears shades... I could go onstage, unzip my pants, and hang my dick out, and people would think it was a statement about something. [Hot Press, March 2000] Marriage is this grand madness, and I think if people knew that, they would perhaps take it more seriously. The reason why there's operas and novels and pop tunes written about love is because it's such an extraordinary thing, not because it's commonplace, and yet that's what you're told, you grow up with this idea that it's the norm. [recalling his late father's influence] Overcoming my dad telling me that I could never amount to anything is what has made me the megalomaniac that you see today. [on his paintings] I love art too much to call these anything other than marks on paper.

I think ABBA have a pure joy to their music and that's what makes them extraordinary. U2 is sort of song writing by accident really. We don't really know what we're doing and when we do, it doesn't seem to help. When I write, it's there. There's no staring at a blank page. [about The Edge ] He's an owl! [talking about The Edge ] And that's not always a given - that he would want to play guitar. He might be into keyboards this album, and you have Larry and Adam going "oh fuck, he's into the keyboards now. We'll never get a rock song out of him". Look, I'm sick of Bono and I AM Bono. It would be wrong for me to say, 'Yes, we can change the world with a song.' But every time I try writing, that's where I'm at. I'm not stupid. I'm aware of the futility of rock & roll music, but I'm also aware of its power. I represent a lot of people [in Africa] who have no voice at all... They haven't asked me to represent them. It's cheeky but I hope they're glad I do.

The world is more malleable than you think. We can bend it into a better shape. Ask big questions, demand big answers. I hate the idea of being in the UK Hall of Fame to be honest with you. We don't want to be in any Hall of Fame until we're retired or dead. I know sometimes you shouldn't judge your audience by the fans you meet, especially if they're in a flowerbed in your garden at home but U2 fans are different, they're very humane. Brian Wilson believes in angels. I do too and you only have to listen to the string arrangement of 'God Only Knows' for fact and proof of angels. Great music is written by people who are either running toward or away from God. On wearing his trademark sunglasses: Without them, I'm an amorphous mass. What about this idea of liberty? Not liberty for its own sake, but liberty for some larger end - not just freedom from oppression, but freedom of expression and worship. Freedom from want, and freedom from fear because when you are trapped by poverty, you are not free. When trade laws prevent you from selling the food you grow, you are not free.

When you are dying of a mosquito bite for lack of a bed net, you are not free. When you are hungry in a world of plenty, you are not free. And when you are a monk in Burma this very week, barred from entering a temple because of your gospel of peace, it is an affront to the thug regime, well then none of us are truly free. I'm the Fidel Castro of speechifying. We've got a few hours, don't we? On visiting the White House: I'd like to think that I've always left the White House with more than I arrived. Not only budget commitments, cutlery, silverware, candelabras, one or two Bush family photos... OK, one Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington - it was in the bathroom, nobody could see-- I'll give it back. The stage is but a platform shoe. [on receiving an honorary British knighthood] You have permission to call me anything you want - except sir, all right? Lord of lords, your demigodness, that'll do.

[on Live Aid (1985)] That day changed my life and started me on this incredible adventure, that is the possibility that our generation could be remembered for something other than the Internet ... the first generation to eradicate extreme poverty ... I want to spend the rest of my life doing that, the band mouth off and complain, but they support me. [on Elvis Presley ] Elvis' music has been my greatest inspiration. I'm representing the poorest and the most vulnerable people. I'm throwing a punch, and the fist belongs to people who can't be in the room, whose rage, whose anger, whose hurt I represent. We're delighted, of course, that people are owning up to being U2 fans. The problem with voting is no matter who you vote for, the government always gets in. [on criticisms of tax avoidance made against U2] We pay millions and millions of dollars in tax. The thing that stung us was the accusation of hypocrisy for my work as an activist. I can understand how people outside the country wouldn't understand how Ireland got to its prosperity but everybody in Ireland knows that there are some very clever people in the Government and in the Revenue who created a financial architecture that prospered the entire nation.

It was a way of attracting people to this country who wouldn't normally do business here and the financial services brought billions of dollars every year directly to the Exchequer. What's actually hypocritical is the idea that then you don't use a financial services center in Holland. The real question people need to ask about Ireland's tax policy is: 'Was the nation a net gain benefactor?' and of course it was - hugely so. So there was no hypocrisy for me. We're just part of a system that has benefited the nation greatly and that's a system that will be closed down in time. Ireland will have to find other ways of being competitive and attractive. [on Bill Clinton ] He is by far the most beloved American since JFK for all of us Irish. [on Third World aid] The Irish people are amazing. What's so incredible about the Irish people is that if you poll them -- I think it's over 62 per cent -- even though they are hurting and there's a lot of pain in the country, they don't want to cut the aid budget. That just humbles me. This whole concept of celebrating the millennium, the whole concept of celebrating a particular minute in time, what is it? What's it all about?

It's bollocks, isn't it? It is. [on Apple designer Jonathan Ive] Jony Ive is himself classic Apple. Brushed steel, polished glass hardware, complicated software honed to simplicity. His genius is not just his ability to see what others cannot, but also how he applies it. To watch him with his workmates in the holy of holies, Apple's design lab, or on a night out, is to observe a very rare esprit de corps. They love their boss and he loves them. What the competitors don't seem to understand is you cannot get people this smart to work this hard just for money. Joni is Obi-Wan. We were like the bastard children of The Clash who actually believed that music could change the world. [on Elton John ] He's the King and Queen of England. [on meeting Freddie Mercury at Live Aid] So when Freddie Mercury comes up to me, he goes, "Hello. Mmmmm. We've all agreed that we like you." And I went, "Oh?" And he had me up against a wall and Freddie was being really playful with me.

And I walked off and I went, "He's really very camp, isn't he?" Somebody said, " Queen ?" I had one of the worst haircuts in the '80s. I know that it launched a million second-division soccer players. But the truth of it, if I'm really honest, is that I thought I looked like David Bowie . Pop music has dated much better than a lot of rock music. [on creativity] If you were of sound mind, you wouldn't need 70K people a night screaming 'I love you'. Nelson Mandela had humor and humility in his bearing, and he was smarter and funnier than the parade of world leaders who flocked to see him.. He could charm the birds off the trees - and the cash right out of wallets.. Mandela lived a life without sanctimony. you try it; it's not easy.. Laughter, not tears was Mandiba's preferred way. One of his cellmates told me that price Mandela paid for working in the limestone mine was not bitterness or even the blindness that can result from being around the bright white reflection day after day. Mandela could see, but the dust damage to his tear ducts had left him unable to cry.

For all this man's farsightedness and vision, he could not produce tears in a moment of self-doubt or grief. More than anyone, it was Mandela who rebooted the idea of Africa from a continent in chaos to a much more romantic view, one in keeping with the majesty of the landscape and the nobility of even its poorest inhabitants. He was also a hardheaded realist, as his economic policy demonstrated. To him, principles and pragmatism were not foes; they went hand-in-hand. He was an idealist without naiveté, a compromiser without being compromised. As an activist, I have pretty much been doing what Nelson Mandela tells me since I was a teenager. He has been a forceful presence in my life, going back to 1979 when U2 made its first anti apartheid effort. And he's been a big part of the Irish consciousness even longer than that. Irish people related all too easily to the subjugation of ethnic minorities. From our point-of-view, the question as to how bloody South Africa would have to get on its long road to freedom was not abstract.

[on Bob Geldof and "Do They Know It's Christmas?"] I thought he was ringing up to say, "I like your album", but no, he told me the album was shite but despite that fact would I like to be part of his song? [on financial accountability in the entertainment world] The real enemy is not between digital downloads or streaming, the real fight is between opacity and transparency. The music business has historically involved itself in quite considerable deceit. As a teenager, Bowie ( David Bowie ) was our Elvis ( Elvis Presley ). They shared the same birthday and they both took music somewhere no one thought it could go. It was his other-worldliness that took us all away. See also Bono | Biography & History | AllMusic google+ Artist Biography by Jonathan Miller Singer, poet, activist, believer: few icons in the history of rock & roll have created art with the consciousness and passion of Bono , and only a handful have done it as successfully.

Whether preaching about "three chords and the truth" or donning ironic personas, the first and only frontman for seminal Irish rock band U2 has always stood unequivocally for hope, faith, and love -- and in so doing has touched millions of fans, as well as sold millions of records. Bono was born Paul Hewson on May 10, 1960, in Dublin, Ireland. His father Bobby, a postal worker, was Catholic, while his mother Iris was Protestant. Young Paul was raised in a spiritual atmosphere, but because he came from a mixed marriage he was never fully welcomed in either the Catholic or Protestant churches. This personal understanding of the religious strife in Ireland -- along with the sudden death of his mother when he was 14 -- were to be major influences on his songwriting in U2 's early years. The band that would become U2 formed in October 1976, after drummer Larry Mullen Jr. placed a note on his high school bulletin board seeking musicians for a rock group. Hewson -- along with guitarist Dave Evans and bassist Adam Clayton -- made the cut at the first meeting in the drummer's kitchen.

Although he couldn't sing, Hewson's commanding personality landed him the job as frontman. Bono allegedly picked up his nickname from the Latin phrase Bono Vox ("good voice"), but it was initially his charismatic stage presence that helped U2 gain a reputation for live performance. U2 's relentless touring schedule quickly boosted his vocal prowess, however, and by the time of the band's groundbreaking 1983 War release, Bono had developed a soaring tenor. Within four years it would become one of the most recognizable voices in popular music. In 1987, U2 rose to superstardom with The Joshua Tree and Bono was quickly placed in the center of international media attention. His righteously candid interviews -- combined with a tendency to preach on stage -- eventually made him the target for the press' more cynical circles. After touring for over the better part of three years at the end of the '80s, U2 temporarily stepped out of the public eye and disappeared to Berlin to record a new album. The band returned in 1991 with Achtung Baby , which represented a complete musical reinvention for U2 .

The industrial-influenced album was darker and sexier than previous U2 albums -- a change paralleled by Bono 's adoption of new stage presences. During the supporting Zoo TV tour, he sarcastically assumed the shiny black leather persona of a prototypical rock star called the Fly and appeared during encores in America as Mirrorball Man (a corrupt televangelist). In the rest of the world, he also introduced the character of Mister Macphisto (the devil portrayed as an aging rock god). With occasional help from guitarist the Edge , Bono has penned all of U2 's lyrics, often favoring unconventional subject matter over typical rock & roll fare. His material has ranged from the turmoil of adolescence, to politics, to religion. Straight-up love songs are conspicuously absent from the group's first four albums, and Bono didn't fully embrace the love song until he incorporated it in the shadowy textures of Achtung Baby . Bono has cited numerous influences on his lyrics, particularly his role in social projects. Bono 's resume includes an exhaustive section on social activism.

In 1984, he appeared on Band Aid 's charity recording "Do They Know It's Christmas?" After U2 's historic Live Aid performance in 1985, he traveled to Ethiopia with his wife Ali; there, they spent several weeks helping with an education and famine relief project. In 1986, U2 headlined Amnesty International's Conspiracy of Hope tour. Bono also performed at 1999's Net Aid, a concert broadcasted live over the Internet that raised money to relieve third world debts, and began involving himself with more poverty-related organizations during the following years. His next extensive social campaign was Jubilee 2000, another project orchestrated to cancel third world debts with the help of supports like Radiohead 's Thom Yorke , Live Aid organizer Bob Geldof , and producer Quincy Jones . During the Jubilee 2000 campaign, Bono spoke before the United Nations and the United States Congress and met with key figures such as Pope John Paul II and Bill Clinton . He later formed the One campaign and continued meeting with world leaders, sidestepping partisan politics in order to reach as many people as possible.

Bono 's personal life proved to be a good bit calmer than his public persona. He married longtime sweetheart Alison Stewart in 1982. They have two daughters, Jordan and Memphis Eve, and two sons, Elijah and John Abraham. Paul David Hewson is better know as... Dates of religious and Civil holidays around the world. Paul David Hewson So who is Paul David Hewson? Well, Paul David Hewson is no other than the Irish Bono who was born on , 1960, under the name Paul David Hewson, but later changed his name to Bono, a name by which we all know him today. © 2007-2017 Capital Of. All rights reserved. You are here: Paul David Hewson Bono: Spokesman for the World's Poor Bono: Spokesman for the World's Poor Facts: U2 Members: Adam Clayton (bass), David Evans (The Edge, guitar), Paul Hewson (Bono, vocals) and Larry Mullen Jr (drums). All U2’s members are Irish.

History: First known as The Feedback, and then The Hype, the four musicians changed the group’s name to U2 in 1978. Their first singles went on sale in Ireland, but by the early 1980s the group was famous on both sides of the Atlantic. U2 is one of Ireland’s most profitable exports, and one of the most successful rock groups ever. The music: U2’s characteristic sound is based in rock but has elements of styles such as blues and electronic music as well. Their albums very often have political messages. Some of their best albums are Boy (1980), War (1983), The Joshua Tree (1987), Achtung Baby (1991) and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004). Bono: Spokesman for the World's Poor Shortcut: He has met many world leaders, such as the Pope and the Prime Minister of Britain. He has collected a lot of money to help the poor and hungry in the third world. He has worked for the environment. He has demonstrated against nuclear weapons, and against the invasion of Iraq. He has even been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

He has asked leaders of rich countries to fight poverty, debt and sickness in Africa. He is a member of one of the world’s most famous and successful rock groups. His name is Paul Hewson, but he is better known as Bono. How did it all start? Bono is the singer in the popular Irish group U2, which became famous in the 1980s. The group has a sound which is all their own. Albums like War, The Joshua Tree and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb contain great rock music with a political message. What made Bono start his work to help the poor? One time a poor man in Ethiopia asked Bono to adopt his son to give him a better life. Bono had to say no, but he has never forgotten the man and his son. After this he decided to help poor people and to fight disease. Bono is sure that a lot of people are willing to do the same as him. Shortcut activity a) Who has Bono met? b) What is Bono a member of? c) What does Bono work with? d) What made Bono start to help the poor?

1000+ images about BONAVOX aka Paul Hewson on Pinterest | Irish, Rocks and Ali hewson Bono on stage in Páirc Uí Chaoimh in 1987 for the Joshua Tree tour. #U2 See More Bono: Biography from @U2 Instrument: Vocals, guitar LIFE As the lead singer of U2, one of the most popular and influential rock bands of the last 30 years, Bono is a figure adored and admired both within and outside of the music industry. As a rock star, his music with U2 has earned him legions of devoted fans across the world, whilst as a humanitarian and crusader for the world's poor, co-founder of organisations such as DATA and the ONE Campaign, he has gained deep respect from politicians and global statesmen as well as music fans. His rare ability to effectively straddle the spheres of both entertainment and politics remains rivaled by few in the realm of popular culture, and his determination to change the world for the better continues to inspire millions on both sides of the political divide. It's perhaps unsurprising that Bono's unusual adult existence was preceded by a less-than-ordinary upbringing.

Born in the north Dublin suburb of Ballymun, Paul Hewson was the second child of Catholic father Brendan Robert Hewson (always called Bobby), and Protestant mother Iris Elizabeth Rankin – a highly unusual arrangement in then deeply sectarian Ireland. As a child Paul Hewson was a precocious, outspoken and thoughtful boy whose early experiences did much to shape his later life as one of the most important figures in Irish history. As a child, his education started at The Inkwell, a small Protestant Church of Ireland junior school, before eventually continuing on to St. Patrick's Cathedral Choir School. But his time there was unsuccessful; as Bono put it, "I spent a year at St. Patrick's, not being happy, and basically they asked me to leave." This was largely a result of the young Paul throwing dog feces at his Spanish teacher, which subsequently led to his enrollment in 1972 at Mount Temple Comprehensive School, a controversial establishment that was Ireland's first co-educational, non-denominational high school. Paul settled in very quickly and soon became well-adjusted and happy in his new environment.

But at the age of 14, he suffered a tragic and devastating loss when his mother died of a brain hemorrhage whilst attending the funeral of her own father. From this point onwards, Paul's home life became considerably traumatic. Despite his father's attempts to hold the family together, Bono claims that he and Bob Hewson "didn't get on very well." As a result, father and son never enjoyed a particularly close relationship. In fact, Bono would later claim that the inarticulate Bob Hewson's unspoken message to his children was "to dream is to be disappointed." The singer has often cited this as a key reason for his forming such big ambitions and becoming even more determined to follow his dreams. It was not long after his mother's death that Paul also got his new name.

Originally 'Steinhegvanhuysenolegbangbangbang,' it evolved to 'Bonavox of O'Connell Street' after a hearing aid store in the centre of Dublin, before eventually being shortened to 'Bonavox,' 'Bono Vox' – cockeyed Latin for 'good voice' – and finally 'Bono.' Credit for this goes to his mate Guggi (real name Derek Rowan), a childhood friend, who along with Bono was a member of the group Lypton Village. This was a gang of disaffected-but-creative youths that included Gavin Friday (real name Fionan Hanvey), the man who would eventually go on to form the avant-garde rock band the Virgin Prunes. Bono has often cited Lypton Village as a key source of inspiration and support both before and during his time with U2. At Mount Temple, Bono describes himself as being "a bit wide-awake, a bit bright, a bit experimental." Although he was far from exceptional as a student, he had a flair for history and art, and became a keen and expert chess player. However, he was perhaps the most adept at navigating the field of romance, entertaining many girlfriends.

In 1976, he started dating Alison Stewart (b. March 23, 1961), commonly known as Ali, with the two eventually marrying on August 21, 1982. They went on to have four children: Jordan (b. May 10, 1989), Memphis Eve (b. July 7, 1991), Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q (b. August 17, 1999), and John Abraham (b. May 20, 2001). To this day, the family continues to make their home in Dublin. Despite his initial ambition to be an actor, it was arguably Bono's tendency to be, in his own words, "promiscuous with my ambitions, flirting with all kinds of things" which led him to respond to a notice posted on the Mount Temple bulletin board appealing for musicians. Those interested were told to assemble at 60 Rosemount Avenue, Artane, the house of 14-year-old drummer Larry Mullen Jnr.

As well as Bono, the other boys who made it to that first session were 15-year-old guitarist David Evans (later nicknamed The Edge), 16-year-old Adam Clayton, who couldn't actually play bass guitar but certainly knew how to talk as though he did, Larry's friend Peter Martin, Ivan McCormick, and David Evans' brother Dick. Ivan and Peter were, to quote Adam, "weeded out" early on, whilst Dick eventually left the band to study engineering at Trinity College Dublin. The four remaining boys were initially named Feedback (supposedly after the ear-splitting wailing that always seemed to emanate from the guitar amps), before becoming the Hype, and then eventually U2. Shortly after the band's formation, Bono, Edge and Larry became involved in the Dublin-based Christian group Shalom. From an early age, the controversy caused by the marriage between his Protestant mother and Catholic father had made Bono extremely suspicious of organised religion, with him later describing it as having "cut my people in two." Therefore, the non-denominational nature of the Shalom group provided Bono and the two other believing members of U2 with solace, harmony and strength.

However, Bono, Edge and Larry's involvement with Shalom later caused friction within U2, as the non-believing Adam felt that the latter three's more devout friends were trying to make them prioritise their faith over the band. The three believers did eventually leave Shalom, as they felt that the group was trying to force upon them the false assertion that a commitment to rock n' roll and a commitment to God were mutually excludable principles. Since then, Bono's Christian faith has played a big role in his life, but in a way that has largely been free from the influence of the mainstream church. PERFORMER Right from the beginning of his time with U2, Bono cultivated a reputation for being able to connect physically and emotionally with fans to an astonishing degree during the band's performances. He honed his technique initially during U2's earliest gigs in small pubs and clubs across America and Europe, where as he put it, he would "walk out on tables, kissing people's girlfriends and drinking their wine." Later on, in the 1983 War tour, the singer would regularly climb the stage tresses in order to prevent the crowds' attention from wandering.

However, perhaps the most well-known example of Bono's on-stage theatrics was during Live Aid in 1985, when mid-way through "Bad" he leapt off the stage and over a security barricade to the floor of the stadium, pulling a girl from the crowd to dance with her. Since then, he has brought girls (and occasionally boys) up on stage to be sprayed with champagne and filmed with handicams (Zoo TV), danced with (PopMart), to play songs (Elevation) and even just to be hugged (Vertigo). Over the years, these exploits have sealed Bono's reputation as one of the all-time great performers, as well as U2's reputation as a band with a heartfelt and profound love for its audience. But his on-stage antics were not always received positively. At the end of the '80s, Bono had become something akin to a Messiah figure, with his often politically-charged, on-stage sermonizing causing U2 to suffer a considerable amount of ridicule from detractors, who accused them of earnestness, pomposity and egotism. Their decision to relocate to Berlin in order to re-tool their sound and image produced some startling changes in Bono's public persona.

The first of these, appearing on the Zoo TV tour in 1992, was The Fly, a character described by Bono as a man making "a phone call from hell, but liking it there." Others emerged, including the infamous MacPhisto. The latter was an incarnation meant for the European crowds during the 1993 Zooropa tour, apparently intended as a depiction of the Devil as a tired, old pop star who's been reduced to playing the Las Vegas circuit. These fun and frivolous experiments with various alter-egos did not last the decade, though. On the 2001 and 2005 Elevation and Vertigo tours, Bono became a more low-key version of his late-'80s onstage self, seeking to educate audiences politically and spiritually as well as to entertain. ACTIVIST Bono has long been involved in a variety of causes outside of U2. His work as an activist, due largely to his Christian beliefs, began in earnest when, inspired by Live Aid, he traveled to Ethiopia to work in a feeding camp with his wife Ali and the charity World Vision.

Bono also went to Central America in 1985 to see the damage wrought by US-backed operations in Nicaragua and El Salvador, after which he and U2 toured as part of the Amnesty International benefit tour, A Conspiracy of Hope. In the 1990s, he campaigned with Greenpeace against the nuclear power plant Sellafield in the north of England, and drew attention to the conflict raging in Bosnia by collaborating with the US journalist Bill Carter during the Zoo TV tour to create the award-winning documentary, Miss Sarajevo. Since the millennium, he has rallied numerous actors, artists and campaigners to the cause of ending Third World debt in his role as spokesman for the Jubilee 2000 project, as well as trying to end AIDS and extreme poverty in Africa by co-founding the lobbying organisation DATA (Debt, Aid, Trade, Africa) in 2002, the ONE Campaign to Make Poverty History (USA) in 2004, and the Make Poverty History movement (UK) in 2005. The latter two are coalitions of NGOs, faith groups and individuals working to end extreme poverty.

Bono was equally key in performing in and helping to organise (along with friend Bob Geldof) the Live 8 concerts in 2005, a series of events across the globe designed to pressure world leaders to increase aid, cancel Third World debt and improve the terms of trade with the world's poorest countries. Also in 2005, Bono and Ali, along with fashion designer Rogan Gregory, created the socially conscious clothing line EDUN. This range of clothes for men and women seeks to promote fair trade and sustainable growth by basing their means of production in poor communities, without the use of sweatshop-like conditions, encouraging them to use their skills in an environmentally friendly way to create garments that can be sold at a fair price. In 2006, Bobby Shriver and Bono co-founded the Product (RED) campaign. This initiative seeks to persuade large companies with global brands to sell specific lines of products from which a portion of the profits will be donated to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and malaria. As well as illustrating Bono's staggering amount of energy and commitment, these initiatives have earned Bono numerous honours and awards.

He was presented with the Free Your Mind Award at the MTV Europe Awards in Dublin, in acknowledgement of his work on behalf of the Jubilee 2000 project; he received a knighthood in Britain, the Légion d'honneur in France, and at least two nominations on separate occasions for the Nobel Peace Prize. He has also had various degrees bestowed on him from some of the world's top universities, and has sat as the editor for the publications Vanity Fair (USA) and the Independent newspaper (UK). EXTRA-CURRICULAR Beyond politics, Bono's activities outside of U2 have included dabbling in the film industry. In 1999 he composed and performed the music for the Wim Wenders film The Million Dollar Hotel, which he co-wrote with screenwriter Nicholas Klein. Bono also made a brief appearance in the movie, his second film role after having previously appeared as himself in Entropy, an indie flick made by Rattle and Hum director Phil Joanou. He also appeared in Julie Taymor's 2007 film Across the Universe, playing Dr. Robert, a psychedelic guru from the Beatles song of the same name.

In addition, he starred alongside his band mates in U2 3D, a movie of the band's Vertigo tour concerts in South America filmed in a ground-breaking 3D format, and Daniel Lanois's musical exploration Here Is What Is. On top of this, Bono has dipped his toe into the literary world, writing the intros for American economist Jeffrey Sachs's 2005 book The End of Poverty, Irish Christian author Adam Harbinson's 2002 critique of the established church They've Hijacked God, and an edition of the Psalms for the 1998 Pocket Canons series. He has also had a book published, 2007's On the Move, in which he lays out his vision, in a single speech, for the changes that could be brought about in the Third World by minor increases in aid provision on the part of the West. Yet despite all his influence among the wealthy and famous, Bono's greatest impact arguably lies with the millions of ordinary individuals whose lives he has touched and transformed, many of whom have been inspired by him to try and make the world a better place.

His capacity for action, his unwavering belief in the potential for individuals to change the world, and his extraordinary powers of persuasion when faced with those hostile to his cause remain unrivalled both within and outside of the music industry. His life has been, and still is, a remarkable example of the triumph of optimism in the face of cynicism and indifference, not to mention how to resist the rock n' roll cliches. Related stories:

Question: In the world of rock music, how is Paul Hewson better known?
Answer: BONO